Extended-length (or "long") integer arithmetic is arithmetic that provides a number of significant bits (precision) that significantly exceeds the native, built-in capabilities of the computer being used. For example, a sixteen-bit processor can be used to handle arithmetic for the much larger numbers needed for scientific or financial spreadsheets or other calculations. An addition, for example, typically involves loading the lowest 16 bits from each operand in memory into internal registers, adding them together, storing the result into a result field in memory, then loading the next-significant 16 bits from each operand in memory into internal registers, adding them together along with the propagated carry from the first operation, storing the second result into the next-significant 16 bits of the result field in memory, and so on until the desired number of bits has been added, while propagating the carry from each operation into the next operation.
When taken to great lengths, such extended-length arithmetic can be used to compute pi to a million digits (for example), or for other desired applications carried out to as many significant bits as the programmer desires (within limits imposed by the storage capabilities of the computer and the time needed for the operations).
Vector processors have been used to improve the performance of a number of very-high-end computing applications such as weather forecasting and finite-element analysis. Many such applications use floating-point numbers and operations since they require only a correct magnitude (called the exponent) and a certain number of significant bits (called the mantissa or fraction). Therefore, many vector processors have been optimized for floating-point registers and operations. While suitable for many applications, floating-point operations are not suitable for applications requiring exact precision to hundreds or thousands of bits.
What is needed is improvements to the architecture and methods for vector processors and vector processing to improve extended-length (or "long") integer arithmetic.